as listed in Diana Howard, London Theatres & Music Halls: 1850-1950 The Library Association, 1970
Compiled & Edited by Graeme Cruickshank
Note: References in this Index are to Diana Howard’s Serial Nos. not to page numbers.
This list is of companies only. For licenses granted to individuals see here.
Indices to Owners, Proprietors, Developers/Promoters, Architects, Decorators, Builders and Contractors, where listed, are available.
Th. = Theatre, Th. R. = Theatre Royal, MH = Music Hall, PH = Public House
Where possible, I have endeavoured to give the names of the venues as they were at the times of the particular licences, but there may be some errors. -Ed.
Occasionally stage play licences and music & dancing licences were granted to run concurrently, sometimes to different persons.
Persons of the same name may have been inadvertently listed together.
Some of the few typographical errors in the original may have been inadvertently carried over to this index. Apologies are offered for any confusion that might ensue.
Refer directly to Howard’s entries for further information, including former and later names of buildings. licence refusals, etc. -Ed.
| Licensee | Establishment | End date (approx) | Howard serial no. |
| A.B.C. Ltd [Ralph Sidney Bromhead] | Rotherhithe Hippodrome | 1930-34 | 674 |
| Alhambra Company Ltd | Alhambra Theatre (Leicester Square) | 1926-36 | 22 |
| Arnlit Ltd | Casino Theatre [Prince Edward Theatre] | 1946-50 | 135 |
| Amusement Developments Ltd | Granville Theatre of Varieties | 1939-42 | 333 not licensed Nov. 39 Nov. 40] |
| A.S. & W. Ltd | Piccadilly Theatre | 1938-45 | 581 |
| Associated British Cinemas Ltd | Bedford MH | 1933-40 | 58 |
| Camberwell Palace | 1933-40 | 124 | |
| Islington Empire [formerly Grand Theatre] | 1933-42 | 400 | |
| Associated Cinema Properties Ltd | Regent Theatre [Euston Theatre etc.] (King’s Cross) | 1936-50 | 656 |
| Associated London Properties Ltd | Grafton Theatre (Tottenham Court Road) | 1932-38 | 328 |
| Associated Theatre Seasons and Somerville, John Baxter | Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith) | 1945 | 477 |
| Audio Film Corporation Ltd and Marcoso, Richard Edward | Hammersmith Palace of Varieties | 1942-43 | 363 |
| B. & J. Theatres Ltd and Blush, Cecil Emanuel | Lewisham Hippodrome | 1935-38 | |
| . . and Lewis, John Idris | . . | 1938-39 | |
| . . and Vincent, Ernest A. | . . | 1939-[?41] | 454 |
| Bedford Music Hall Ltd | Bedford MH | 1925-33 | 58 |
| Bedford Theatre (Camden Town) Ltd | Bedford MH / Bedford Th. | 1940-41 | 58 |
| Bedford Theatre (London) Ltd | Bedford Th. | 1950 | 58 |
| Bloom Bros. | Holloway Empire | 1947 | 380 |
| [see Bloom and Jenkins, Thomas, above] | |||
| Brisford Entertainments Ltd | Bedford Th. | 1941-42 | 58 |
| British Union Varieties Ltd and Vincent, Ernest A. | Lewisham Hippodrome | 1943-44 | |
| . . and Schofield, Cecil Orlando | . . | 1944-47 | 454 |
| Buchanan Estates Ltd | Leicester Square Theatre (of Varieties) | 1931-32 | 453 |
| Burlington Property Co. Ltd | Kingsway Theatre | 1938 | 443 |
| Cambridge Theatre Co. | Cambridge Theatre | 1938-48 | 125 |
| Cambridge Theatre Properties Ltd | Cambridge Theatre | 1948- after 50 | 125 |
| Capital Syndicate Ltd | Palladium Theatre | 1925-29 | 463 |
| Charing Cross Road Theatre Ltd | Phoenix Theatre | 1931-36 | 580 |
| Coffee Music Halls Co. Ltd | Royal Victoria Hall and Coffee Tavern [Secretary, Emma Cons] [‘Old Vic’] | 1880-1913 | 545 |
| Coliseum Syndicate Ltd | London Coliseum | 1924-[?] | 461 |
| Collins Music Hall and Samuel Berney | Collins’ Music Hall | 1928-29 | 168 |
| De Frece Vaudeville Entertainments Ltd and Wells, Cecil | Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith) | 1935 | 477 |
| Delhall Ltd | Saville Theatre | 1947-[?] | 715 |
| Dominion Theatre Ltd | Dominion Theatre | 1929-33 | 219 |
| Dominion Theatre (1933) Ltd | Dominion Theatre | 1934-39 | 219 |
| Electric Palaces Ltd | Hammersmith Palace of Varieties | 1934-36 | 363 |
| Embassy Theatre Ltd | Embassy Theatre | 1928-40 | 265 |
| Embassy Theatre (Swiss Cottage) Ltd | Embassy Theatre | 1940-41 | 265 |
| Empire Kinema (Lewisham) Ltd and Bernstein, Sydney Lewis | Lewisham Hippodrome | 1928-32 | 454 |
| Empire Palace Ltd | Empire Theatre (Leicester Square) | 1925-27 | 266 |
| Empire Palace (Poplar) Ltd | Poplar Hippodrome | 1925 | 589 |
| Empress Theatre of Varieties Ltd | Empress Th. of Varieties [Empress M.H.] | 1932-42, 1946 (through 1950) | 267 |
| Everyman Productions Ltd | Everyman Theatre | 1928-32 | 274 |
| F.J.B. Theatres (London) Ltd | Bedford Theatre | 1942-50 | 58 |
| General Theatre Corporation Ltd | Holborn Empire | 1929-47 | 376 |
| Palladium Theatre / London Palladium | 1929-47 | 463 | |
| Grafton Theatre Ltd | Grafton Theatre (Tottenham Court Road) | 1932-37 | 328 |
| Grand Theatre (Clapham ) Ltd | Grand Theatre (Clapham Junction) | 1932-38 | 330 |
| Granville Theatre of Varieties (Walham Green) Ltd | Granville Theatre of Varieties | 1925-39 | 333 |
| Greater London Theatres and Cinemas Ltd | Camberwell Palace | 1928-29 | 124 |
| Grand Theatre (Clapham Junction) | 1928-29 | 330 | |
| Islington Empire [formerly Grand Theatre] | 1928-29 | 400 | |
| Hammersmith Palace of Varieties | 1928-31 | 363 | |
| and Brown, Summers | Kilburn Empire | 1928-29 | 414 |
| G.T.V. Entertainments Ltd | Granville Theatre of Varieties | 1942 (through 1950) | 333 |
| Hackney and Shepherd’s Bush Empire Ltd | Hackney Empire | 1925-42 | 359 |
| Hackney and Shepherd’s Bush | Shepherd’s Bush Empire | 1942 (through 1950) | 730 |
| Empire Palaces Ltd | Hackney Empire | 1942-? | 359 |
| Hammersmith Palace Ltd | Hammersmith Palace of Varieties | 1925-27 | 363 |
| Hammersmith Palace of Varieties Ltd | Hammersmith Palace of Varieties | 1927-28 | 363 |
| Hay Hill Syndicate Ltd | Prince Edward Theatre [London Casino] | 1931-46 | 135 |
| H.M. and S. Ltd | Phoenix Theatre (Charing Cross Road) | 1945-? | 580 |
| Holborn Empire Ltd | Holborn Empire | 1925-29 | 376 |
| Holloway Empire Ltd | Holloway Empire | 1949 | 380 |
| Inaugurated Plays Ltd | Grafton Theatre (Tottenham Court Road) | 1938-40 | 328 |
| J. Lyons and Co. Ltd | Oxford Theatre [Oxford Music Hall] | 1927 | 552 |
| Julian Wylie Productions, Ltd | Phoenix Theatre (Charing Cross Road) | 1943-45 | 580 |
| Kennington Theatre Ltd | Kennington Theatre | 1925-26 | 412 |
| Kilburn Varieties Ltd and Marcoso, Richard Ed. | Kilburn Empire | 1942- | |
| . . and Butterworth, Frederick J. | . . | 1943-47 | 414 |
| King’s Cross Cinemas Ltd | Regent Theatre [Euston Theatre etc.] (King’s Cross) | 1933-36 | 656 |
| Leicester Square Estates | Leicester Square Theatre (of Varieties) | 1933-49 | 453 |
| Lena Ashwell Players Ltd | Twentieth Century Theatre (Bayswater) | 1925-37 | 823 |
| Lewisham Theatres Ltd and Bernstein, Sydney Lewis | Lewisham Hippodrome | 1932-34 | 454 |
| London & Counties Theatres Ltd | Balham Hippodrome | 1925-[?]38 | 46 |
| London & District Cinemas Ltd | Grand Theatre (Clapham Junction) | 1938-40 | 330 |
| London Cinema Ltd | Fulham Theatre [Grand Theatre] | 1930-31 | 329 |
| London Palace (1921) Ltd | Palace Theatre | 1925 (through 1950) | 554 |
| London Pavilion Ltd | London Pavilion (Piccadilly Circus) | 1925-46 | 465 |
| London Theatres of Varieties Ltd | (New) Royal Standard Theatre [Shoreditch Olympia, etc.] | 1925-26 | 740 |
| Grand Theatre of Varieties (Clapham Junction) [Grand Theatre] | 1925-28 | 330 | |
| Islington Empire [formerly Grand Theatre] | 1925-28 | 400 | |
| Rotherhithe Hippodrome | 1926-28 | 674 | |
| London Theatres of Varieties and Gulliver, Charles | Lewisham Hippodrome | 1925-28 | 454 |
| London Theatres of Varieties and Pepper, F. J. | Kilburn Empire | 1925-28 | 414 |
| Loughborough Playhouse Ltd | Camberwell Palace | 1932-33 | 124 |
| Collins’ Music Hall | 1937-40 | 168 | |
| Grand Theatre (Clapham Junction) | 1940-42 | 330 | |
| Camberwell Palace | 1940-43 | 124 | |
| Loughborough Playhouse Ltd and Abrahams, David Albert | Lewisham Hippodrome | 1934-35 | 454 |
| Lux Estates Ltd | Phoenix Theatre (Charing Cross Road) | 1936-40 | 580 |
| Lux Estates Ltd and Luxembourg, Victor | Royal Court Theatre | 1935-36 | 679 |
| Marlborough Picture Theatre (Hilyer, John Joseph) | Marlborough Theatre (Islington) | 1916-19 | 488 |
| Metropolitan & Provincial Cinematograph Theatres Ltd | Islington Empire [formerly Grand Theatre] | 1931 | 400 |
| Hammersmith Palace of Varieties | 1931-34 | 363 | |
| Metropolitan & Provincial Cinematograph Theatres Ltd and Sheridan, Victor | Kilburn Empire | 1931- | 414 |
| Hammersmith Palace of Varieties | 1936- | 363 | |
| Kanssen, Theodore | . . (both above) | 1937- | |
| Hillier, Arthur James | . . (both above) | 1938-42 | |
| Metropolitan Theatre of Varieties Ltd | Metropolitan Theatre | 1925-[?32] | 493 |
| Moss Empires Ltd | Alexandra Theatre (Stoke Newington) | 1909-[?]17 | 20 |
| Finsbury Park Empire | 1925- (through 1950) | 278 | |
| Holborn Empire | 1947- after 1950 | 376 | |
| London Palladium | 1947-[?] | 463 | |
| Moss Empires Ltd and | New Cross Empire Gillespie, Richard Henry [Deptford Empire Th. of Varieties] | 1925-47 | 516 |
| Navy, Army & Air Force Institute and Benjamin, Charles | Royal Artillery Theatre and Opera House | 1940-48 | 676 |
| New Camberwell Palace Ltd | Camberwell Palace | 1925-28 | 124 |
| New Empire Ltd | Empire Theatre (Leicester Square) | 1929-30 | 266 |
| New Entertainments Ltd | Collins’ Music Hall | 1935-37 | 168 |
| New Mercury Theatre Ltd and Dukes, Ashley | Mercury Theatre | 1941-[?] | 492 |
| Odeon Associated Theatres | Leicester Square Theatre (of Varieties) | 1949-[?] | 453 |
| Oxford Ltd | Oxford Theatre [Oxford Music Hall] | 1925-27 | 552 |
| Park Theatrical Productions, Ltd | Regent Theatre [Euston Theatre etc.] (King’s Cross) | 1950 | 656 |
| Parl Theatrical Productions, Ltd | New Cross Empire | ||
| [sic] | and Webb, Frank Sydney [Deptford Empire Th. of Varieties] | 1949-[?] | 516 |
| Partnership Players Ltd | Fulham Theatre [Grand Theatre] | 1925 | 329 |
| People’s Entertainment, Society Ltd and | New Cross Empire Walker, Joseph Henry [Deptford Empire Th. of Varieties] | 1947-49 | 516 |
| Phoenix Theatre (London) Ltd | Phoenix Theatre (Charing Cross Road) | 1941-43 | 580 |
| Phyllis Dixey, Ltd | Whitehall Theatre | 1945-48 | 884 |
| Piccadilly Theatre Ltd | Piccadilly Theatre | 1945-? | 581 |
| Piccadilly (Vaudeville) Ltd | Piccadilly Theatre | 1936 | 581 |
| Pond | see Spiers & Pond Ltd. | ||
| Productions (Richmond) Ltd | Collins’ Music Hall | 1919-27 | 168 |
| Queen’s Theatre (Poplar) Ltd | Queen’s Theatre (Poplar) | 1927-[?] | 624 |
| Radio-Keith Orpheum | Leicester Square Theatre (of Varieties) | 1932-33 | 453 |
| Regis Entertainments Ltd | Camberwell Palace | 1946- after 50 | 124 |
| Repertory Entertainments Ltd | Everyman Cinema Theatre | 1935-43 | 274 |
| Robert Lear Productions Ltd | Balham Hippodrome | 1939 | 46 |
| Rotherhithe Hippodrome Ltd | Rotherhithe Hippodrome | 1928-30 | 674 |
| Royal Court Cinema Ltd and Pemberton-Billing, Noel | Royal Court Theatre | 1936-40 | 679 |
| Royal Surrey Gardens Co. Ltd | Royal Surrey Gardens | 1856-59 | 696 |
| Rudolf Steiner Association Ltd and Compton-Burnett, Vera | Twentieth Century Theatre (Bayswater) | 1937 (through 1950) | 823 |
| S.A. Varieties, Ltd and Morely-Clarke, L. | Lewisham Hippodrome | 1947-[?] | 454 |
| St.Martin’s Syndicate Ltd | Duke of York’s Theatre | ||
| [application, by Michael Levenston, on behalf of this company, not granted as he was bankrupt] | Oct. 1897 | 243 | |
| Sadler’s Wells Foundation, The Governors of | Sadler’s Wells Theatre | 1946-[?] | 702 |
| Salvation Army, see: Booth, William (above) | |||
| Saville Theatre Ltd | Saville Theatre | 1931-47 | 715 |
| Seventy Sixth Trust Ltd | Royalty Theatre (Soho) | 1946-50 | 699 |
| Shilling Theatre Ltd | Shilling Theatre [Grand Theatre, Fulham Theatre] | 1934-35 | 329 |
| Shoreditch Theatre (London) | Shoreditch Empire [London MH, etc.] | 1925-34 | 739 |
| South London Theatres Ltd | Woolwich Empire [Barnard’s Theatre, etc.] | 1939-40 | 902 |
| Spiers & Pond Ltd | Criterion Theatre (second building) | 1889-96 | 186 |
| (Joshua Ellis, Secretary) | Criterion Theatre | 1903 | 186 |
| Stoll Theatre, Kingsway Ltd | Stoll Theatre [London Opera House, etc.] | 1948-? | 764 |
| Streatham Hill Playhouse Ltd and Perry, James Walter | Streatham Hill Theatre | 1930-[?] | 767 |
| Suburban Century Cinemas Ltd | Camberwell Palace | 1943-46 | 124 |
| . . and Shenburn, Archie Allerton | Hammersmith Palace of Varieties | 1943-45 | 363 |
| Sunniside Trust Co. Ltd | Grand Theatre (Clapham Junction) | 1949-? | 330 |
| Swift Productions, Ltd and Salisbury, Robert Brighten | Royal Artillery Theatre and Opera House | 1948-49 | 676 |
| Swift Productions, Ltd and Green, James Noel Scott | Royal Artillery Theatre and Opera House | 1949-[?] | 676 |
| Syndicate Varieties Ltd | Empress Th. of Varieties [Empress M.H.] | 1925-32 | 267 |
| Theatrical Service Ltd | Everyman Theatre / Everyman Cinema Theatre | 1933-34 | 274 |
| Unicos Property Corporation Ltd | Phoenix Theatre (Charing Cross Road) | 1940 | 580 |
| United Artists Corporation Ltd | London Pavilion (Piccadilly Circus) | 1946-? | 465 |
| United Picture Theatres Ltd | Kennington Theatre | 1930-34 | 412 |
| Variety Theatres Consolidated Ltd | Regent Theatre [Euston Theatre etc.] (King’s Cross) | 1925-33 | 656 |
| South London Palace of Varieties | 1925-40 | 751 | |
| [1941, theatre closed by war damage] Chelsea Palace | 1925-after 50 | 144 | |
| Victoria Palace, Ltd | Victoria Palace | 1925 (through 1950) | 834 |
| Windmill Theatre Co., Ltd | Windmill Theatre | 1931-[?] | 889 |
| Woolwich Empire Ltd | Woolwich Empire [Barnard’s Theatre, etc.] | 1932-39 | 902 . . |
| . . Rothstein, Mrs. Sarah and | . . | 1940-[?] | . . |